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Luzerne County Residents React to Trump’s Order to Detain Families Together

LUZERNE COUNTY, Pa. — President Donald Trump signed an executive order Wednesday, ordering that children no longer be detained at the U.S./Mexican border ...

LUZERNE COUNTY, Pa. -- President Donald Trump signed an executive order Wednesday, ordering that children no longer be detained at the U.S./Mexican border without their parents.

"I think that's wonderful I think it would be a great idea because I don't agree with separating the children from their parents, it's just inhumane if you ask me,” said Susan Murphy of Taylor.

"I think that it's great the families do stay together, that just to separate them is just awful,” said Christal Stevens of Old Forge.

"The kids being separated from the parents is really harmful for them in the long run,” said Donna Evans-Greenfield of Scranton.

Democratic U.S. Senator Bob Casey of Scranton has been critical of the policy to separate children from parents.

He told Newswatch 16:

"It is long overdue for President Trump to amend the most egregious element of his cruel and inhumane policy of ripping migrant children from their parents. But substituting a lesser form of cruelty for a greater form is still cruelty. Family detention is far from the only or best solution…"

Republican Congressman Lou Barletta of Hazleton, who is running against Casey in the Senate, said in a statement:

"I applaud President Trump for his continued efforts to secure our borders and I commend his executive action to help keep families together while they are being processed through our justice system. The best solution to fixing this problem is to act now to end illegal immigration."

"I think that was a good thing, you don't want to separate the parents and the kids. On the other hand, you don't want them coming across the border illegally, if they do it legally, there's no problem,” said Brian Craig of Pittston Township.

Trump supporters tell Newswatch 16 they like the president's latest order and agree with him that illegal immigration is still a major problem.

"It's getting out of control, it is. They have to do something to stop it,” said Bradley Edwards of Avoca.

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